This invention relates to systems for monitoring and defibrillating the heart of a patient and, more particularly, to an improved circuit for connecting the patient to the monitor/defibrillator.
Emergency medical procedures often require that a physician or paramedic quickly prepare a patient for ECG monitoring and/or defibrillation if the need arises.
This procedure usually requires that monitoring electrodes be applied to the chest of the patient and connected to the monitor/defibrillator. If a pulse of energy is to be applied to the patient for defibrillation, additional large hand-held paddles from the monitor/defibrillator must be placed against the patient by the operator. This procedure results in the presence of many electrodes and tangled wires, and requires that the operator maintain the paddles against the patient during defibrillation.
If the operator, while maintaining the paddles against the patient, inadvertently touches him when the pulse of energy is delivered, the operator is likely to receive an electric shock.